Suarez (L) and Asamoah Gyan (R) played against each other in the 2010 World Cup quarter final
Asamoah Gyan has revealed that the lasting pain from Ghana’s heartbreaking exit at the 2010 FIFA World Cup has little to do with Luis Suárez and everything to do with the penalty he failed to convert.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s Rio Meets podcast, the former Black Stars captain reflected on the dramatic quarter-final against Uruguay, in which Suárez was sent off for handling Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header in the final seconds of extra time.
Gyan stepped up to take the resulting penalty, but struck the crossbar, and Ghana later lost the shootout.
Gyan said he had been in perfect form from the spot before the game, revealing that he scored 20 out of 20 penalties in training the day before the match.
“A day before the game, after training, I took 20 penalties – I scored 20. For me, as a footballer, I understand. He did what he had to do to save his country,” he said.
The former Sunderland striker added that his deepest regret is not being able to punish Uruguay for the handball.
“He cheated, yes, but he became a hero. I am the one who had the opportunity to punish him, and I didn’t. That is what hurts the most. It’s not about Suárez anymore; it’s about the fact that I didn’t finish the job. It’s something I will live with for the rest of my life,” he added.
Ghana’s defeat denied Africa a historic first World Cup semi-final appearance, making the moment one of the most painful in the continent’s football history.
FKA/AM